Device for displaying and vending cigars.



PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.y

a No; 753,827.

G. H. HAGAR. DEVICE Pon DISPLAYING AND VBNDING (xmms.

` No MODEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. 1903.

2 SHEETS- snm 2.

UNITED STATES i' wPatented March 14, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE H. HAGAR, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING ANDIVENDING CIGARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,827, dated March 1,1904.

Application inea August 14, 190s.

To au whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. HAGAR, a citi- Zen of the United StatesofAmerica, residing in the city and county of Denver, State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Im? provements in Devices forDisplaying and Vending Cigars; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it lappertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the guresof reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for displaying andvending cigars, my object being to provide a device of this class inwhich the cigars shall be conspicuously and attractively exhibited orbrought to the notice of the customer, which device may be opened by thecustomer and is adapted to close automatically, and which at the time ofopening vof the store that there is a customer present.

A further object of my device is to keep the cigars in aproperly-moistened condition while conspicuously displayed.

The mechanism whereby I accomplish these objects and through whoseinstrumentality the functions outlined are performed will now bedescribed in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 isa front view of thedevice. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2.

The samev reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a base, preferably composed of wood, andtowhich is applied a metal plate or band 6, which projects above thebase and forms a holder for a glass jar 7, which rests on the base 5, asshown. The base 5 extends rearwardly from the jar, as shown at 5, andthis extension is inclosed by a casing 27, whose vertical sides consistof rearward extensions of the plate 6 and whose serial No. 169,530. (Nomodel.)

`top portion is detachable by the removal of screws 4, which engage lugs3,projectingdown wardly from the top part on the outside of the verticalcasing parts 27 a. The top 27 c of this casing is rounded at its forwardextremity to conform to the curve of the jar 7 Secured to the baseextension 5a and inclosed by the casing 27 is a gong 8. Journaled in thecasing 27 above this gong is a spindle 9, upon which is mounted a tongueor striker 10. Upon this spindle isalso secured a pin 12, which lies inthe path of alever-arm 13, made fast to a rock-shaft 14, journaled inthe casing sides 27 a. Connected with thisshaft and extending upwardlyfrom the same is an arm 15, whose upper `extremity is bent inwardly atright angles to the body of the arm, as shown at 16.' The extremity ofthis part 16 is then bent downwardly and enters a centralv openingformed in a disk 17, which forms a cover for the jar 7, the upper edgeof thelatter being provided with arubber gasket 18., which by it mayadjust itself automatically to lit the upper edge'of the -jar when thearm 15 occu- .pies theposition shown by full lines in Fig. 1 vand bydotted lines in Fig. 2.

A leaf-spring A19 is secured to the casing 27 at one end, and itsopposite end projects unj der the spindle 9, occupying a position in thepath of the crank-arm 13 when the lid-holding arm 16 is moved rearwardlyor to the dotted-line position in Fig. 1. A chain 20, connected with thearm 16 at one extremity and with the casing'6 at the opposite extremity,limits the rearward movement of the lid-hold ing arm. Thedownwardly-bent extremity of the arm part 16 is threaded where it passesthrough the disk-lid 17 and a nut 2.8 is screwed thereon below the lid.Above this nut is a washer 29, while a washer 30 is also applied to thearm extremity above the lid. It is preferable to leave a spacey betweenthe washer 29 and the top of the lid in order that the latter may have a'loose connection with its supporting arm or holder to permit theautomatic adjustment of the lid to fit the top of the jar, as heretoforeexplained.

When the device is in use, a box or other suitable receptacle containingcigars is placed in the jar 7 of the device. Previous to placing thecigars in the jar a moistened pad 32 is placed in the bottom of the jar,and above this pad is placed a perforated plate 33, which prevents thecigar-receptacle 31 from coming in direct contact with the moisture ofthe pad. This pad keeps the cigars within the jar moistened to thedesired degree. By resaturating the pad at intervals this moisteningfunction may be continuously maintained.

The jar is preferably composed entirely of glass, though it is evidentthat it may be made of other material, glass being simply employed onthe front side in order to render the cigars visible.

Then the device is in use, the cigars contained in a suitable box orcase 31 are placed in the jar. The top 3la of this case is removed andplaced on the bottom thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, in order to expose thetops of the cigars through the glass case. A person who desires topurchase a cigar simply moves the lid-holding arm 16 rearwardly to thedotted-line position in Fig. 1. As he does this the rock-shaft 14 isactuated and the arm 13 moved to engage the pin 12, whereby the tongue10 is actuated or moved vin one direction to such an extent that whenreleased it will fall back and strike the gong. This sound signals theperson in charge of the store that a person has taken a cigar. Thespring 19 is acted on by the arm 13 at the same time, and as the powervor pressure which moves the arm 16 and its lid rearwardly, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1, ceases to act the recoil of the spring 19 willreturn the arm 16 to its normal position, or to a position forward of avertical plane passed through the axis or center of motion of the arm16, after which the gravity of the lid will carry it to its closedposition.

Attention is called to the fact that while my improved device is moreespecially intended for exhibiting, displaying, and vending cigars itmay be employed for the same purpose in connection with any othersuitable articles of merchandise.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationwith a suitable base, of a receptacle mounted thereon and having atransparent portion, a rock-shaft journaled in the base, an armconnected with the rock-shaft, a lid adapted to close the top of thereceptacle and liftably removable bodily therefrom, said lid beingconnected with the upper extremity of the arm, the rock-shaft beinglocated to allow the lid to be opened or removed from the receptacle asthe rock-shaft is actuated in one direction.

asas?! 2. The combination with a suitable base, of a transparentreceptacle mounted thereon, a rock-shaft journaled in the base andlocated to one side of the center of the receptacle, an arm connectedwith the roclcshaft, a lid adapted to close the top of the receptaclebut not othel`l wise connected therewith, said lid being liftablyremovable bod ily from the receptacle and connected with the upperextremity of the arm, and means connected with the arm for limiting therearward movement of the latter as the rock-shaft is turned.

3. The combination with a suitable base, of a transparent receptaclemounted thereon, a rock-shaft jonrnaled in the base, an arm connectedwith the rock-shaft, a'lid connected with the arm adapted to close thereceptacle at the top and being liftably removable bodily therefrom, anda signal device actuated from the rock-shaft as the latter is turned toopen the lid through the instrumentality of the arm connecting therocl-shaft and lid.

4. The combination with a suitable frame or base, of a transparentreceptacle mounted thereon, a lid for the receptacle, an arm connectedwith the lid, said arm being journaled in the base at a suitable pointwhereby as the arm is actuated in one direction the lid may be movedfrom the top of the receptacle, means connected with the arm forlimiting its rearward movement, a signal device actuated by the movementof the rock-shaft, and a .spring placed under tension by the movement ofthe rock-shaft in opening the receptacle, and arranged to return the lidautomatically to the closed position.

5. The combination with a suitable frame or base, of a transparentreceptacle mounted thereon, a rock-shaft suitably journaled, an armconnected with the rock-shaft and extending upwardly, a lid connectedwith the upper extremity of the arm, a crank-arm connected with therock-shaft, a signal actuated by the arm as the rock-shaft is operated,and a spring also engaging the crank-arm as the rock-shaft is actuatedwhereby the spring' is placed `under tension as the lid is opened, andactson the crank-arm to return the lid to the closed position,substantially as described.

6. In a device for displaying and Vending cigars, the combination of atransparent receptacle, a lid adapted to close the receptacle but nototherwise connected therewith, said lid being liftably removable bodilyfrom the receptacle, an arm connected with the lid andy journaled at asuitable point below, a signal actuated from the journal portion of thearm as the latter is operated, and means acting on the arm to return itto its normal position after it has been moved rearwardly to open thelid.

7. The combination with a suitable base, of a plate surrounding the baseand projecting above the same, a transparent receptacle mounted on thebase and held in position by the plate, a lid movably mounted on saidre- IOO IIO

ceptacle, a gasket surrounding the top of the lid and extending over itsupper edge to make a tight joint between the lid and the body of thereceptacle, an arm whose upper eXtremity is connected with the lid, arock-shaft suitably journaled and with which the lower eX- tremity ofthe arm is connected, a crank-arm mounted on the rock-shaft, a signalingdevice operated by the crank-arm as the rockshaft is moved to open thelid, and a spring acting to return the rock-shaft and its connections totheir normal position after each lidopening operation.

8. In a device for exhibiting and vending cigars, the combination of asuitable base, a transparent receptacle, a moistening' device located inthe bottom of said receptacle, a perforated plate located above themoistening device and forming a support for the cigars, a lid adapted toclose the top of the receptacle,

said lid consisting of a Hat disk, and suitable means onected with thelid whereby it may p closing the latter, and a spring placed undertension by the opening movement of the arm and having a tendency toclose the lid as soon as` the force applied for opening purposes, ceasesto act.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. HAGAR.

Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, Or'ro E. HODDICK. y

